The Odd One In
by Seaside Precipice
Summary: She was never the 'odd one out', actually, she found herself more often to be the 'odd one in', odd, isn't it? Well, she never pegged herself as a 'normal' person anyway, something he finds endearing. Jared/Kim. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

The Odd One In

By: Seaside Precipice

* * *

Being ordinary really _sucked_.

There was nothing wrong with her, not really, but that was the problem – _nothing wrong_. There was no interesting story she could tell. In fact, she could easily sum up her entire life in one sentence: I was born in La Push, I grew up in La Push, and nothing interesting has happened in La Push, hence, nothing happened to me. That was it. Her life. It was so boringly depressing at times she would find herself watching actions movies for hours on end just for some _excitement_.

Many times she suspected she had a mood disorder, but really, other than being utterly _bored_, she didn't feel depressed, so any case of disorder, was out. Heck, who the hell was she kidding? Even if she had depression it wouldn't make her life more interesting, actually, she was glad she _didn't_ have it, like any normal person should.

"If I walk into the boys locker room, think I'll get a date?" She asked, the words spilling out of her mouth randomly, but it was expected, _normal_. She didn't glance at her friend, who at the moment was stuffing her face with a sandwich she made from home since the cafeteria food always seemed to be past expiration date.

Her brunette of a friend, April, swallowed hard, before choking out a laugh. "If it does, I'm in right behind you, Kim." Kim didn't immediately respond, instead keeping her eyes locked on the boy's locker room, which, coincidently, happened to be right across from where the two were sitting – and even more coincidently, right in front of April's locker.

"If I get a date, think he'll notice me?" April hummed in contemplation, before taking another bite of her sandwich and chewing, hiding her mouth behind her hand. Kim considered herself lucky April remembered her manners that moment – the girl had a bad habit of eating with her mouth open.

"If you dressed as a chicken for a day, he probably would." She worded as she swallowed, and her answer brought a smile to Kim's face. Then, just to play along, she sighed dramatically, slouching her shoulders and pulled her knees up so that she could rest her elbow on them, and then her head in her hand.

"We'll have to go find a costume shop then," Kim said, successfully keeping her expression neutral. It was actually quite the struggle; the corners of her lip continued to twitch. Her efforts were rewarded though, as April laughed loudly, despite the food in her mouth, and managed to choke, coughing loudly and pounding her chest.

Kim laughed; so damn worth it.

"I swear, Kim, you really should have taken Drama, Mr. Philips would literally love you." April managed after she recovered, slightly. Kim's smile dropped from her face, before she looked out to the door of the boy's locker room.

"Acting is different than lying," she murmured, and April looked at her with a quizzical expression. Noticing this, Kim perked up, giving a bright smile that was most obviously fake. "See? I can't even smile fake…real…um," She broke off, and April looked on at her with an entertained expression. "I mean, I can't act a real smile."

"So smile for real then voila! Problem solved." April shook her head almost patronisingly, playing with the last bite of her sandwich in her fingers, the plastic wrap tangled in her thin fingers. "I still say you're a clown."

"When have you ever said that?"

"Some of the things I think I say are never actually said." April explained flippantly, tossing in the last piece of lunch in her mouth and untangling the plastic from her fingers. "Like you – you do it all the goddamn time. I think I might have gotten it from you."

"I don't say things?" Kim mused, leaning backwards, her back hitting the locker with a loud bang as the metal rattled. "No, I'm pretty sure I say everything I think."

"Not when it comes to Jared." Kim tensed immediately, before swinging her arm out and lightly hitting her friend's arm. April merely laughed and scrunched up the plastic wrap in a ball before tossing it into a nearby garbage can. "Literally, I swear, it's the only time I hear you talk like a normal person."

"What's wrong with the way I talk?" Kim frowned; April smiled.

"You're blunt."

"And you're stupid. What of it?" Kim shot back immediately, before realising who she was talking to and mumbled out an apology; "Sorry."

"Nah, See? You totally just proved me right."

"That you're stupid?"

April sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes for effect. "Fuck, no, now shut up, what I mean to say is that you talk without worrying about what other people think. It's refreshing. Or, at least, as long as your not calling me stupid."

"At least I didn't call you ugly."

"Huh?" April exclaimed, her cry sounding more like a squawk of a dying animal than that of a human being. "You think I'm ugly?" Well, no, that isn't what Kim thought at all, but if April thought that – which was slightly insulting – then Kim was going to make her sweat for a little while.

"Well, occasionally on those really bad mornings-"

"_KIM!"_

"You're fine! Okay? Really pretty." This seemed to finally placate her, as she settled herself back down next to Kim, a content sigh escaping her. Actually, it made Kim have the urge to take it back, just to see what April's reaction would be, but she decided against it. Hers and April's was a new relationship, being unnecessarily rude would just butcher it.

"Man," She groaned, "anyway, Jared. Right, girl-talk. Any progress?" Ah, the only taboo topic in Kim's dictionary. Jared, wonderful, sexy Jared, was right up there with… actually, no, he was right at the top. He was the only topic she didn't want to talk about, yet found herself doing so – a lot. Especially with April, who, at the moment, was dating a man in college, and had no interest in high-school boys. Rules out competition at the very least, she guessed.

"Nope." Might as well spill her guts, it wasn't like April was going to spread the word about it anyway; she just wasn't that kind of girl. At least, she didn't seem to be that kind of girl. It was hard to discern; her emotions were everywhere sometimes it was hard to judge where her loyalties lay.

"I thought you were going to say hi?"

"He left before I could find the courage for it." Yes, her, who was supposedly blunt to the point of rudeness, was unable to say hi to him, or, rather, bye to him, since it took all of her history class to pep talk her into it. _Just say, 'well, see you tomorrow, Jared,' and try not to embarrassingly hyperventilate when you say his name. Really, it's beyond easy, so stop being such a fucking coward and say it, look! The class is ending soon – go! Start the beautiful relationship that will most definitely-_

It was around there she realised he had already left.

That incident had promptly gone in her diary, which actually was more of a venting space when she didn't want to bother Laura, her best friend, or, more recently, April. Of course, that seemed to be a moot point now that she was going to tell April, which meant later on she would have to tell Laura, so the whole point in writing down such an embarrassing point in her life was for nothing.

As she told her brief little story to April, Kim had to admire how much of a better listener April was than Laura. Laura would probably be reading while she spoke, or drawing, or texting her cousin or her ex to leave her the fuck alone. Whatever it was, Laura would always be doing _something_ while Kim spoke, but always seemed to know exactly what was said, so it was at least a little forgivable.

"I thought you were a role model. You so are not! The hell! So while you were talking yourself into talking to him, he left? Man! You really are pathetic when it comes to guys." There, Laura wouldn't have done that, which was probably why Laura was still her best friend, and April remained in the 'good friend' slot.

"It's harder when the guy you like is ignorant of your existence, April. Not all of us can have a boyfriend who's such a flirt he talks to every girl in existence." It was meant to be a jibe, but irrationally, April didn't take it as one, which left Kim, poor girl that she was, a little depressed that her vindictiveness had fallen so flat.

"Ah, yes, but he stopped at me, didn't he?" She winked, and Kim rolled her eyes, mirroring the effect April had so kindly done previously.

A loud shrill bell rang, and April jumped a little at its abruptness. Third period – _History_. April looked over with a mischievous glint in her eyes, before winking suggestively – an action which earned her another slap on her arm – before bouncing up and skipping off to class, "Good luuuck, Kimble!" She called, intelligently far away for when she used the nickname. She personally hated it, but not for any superficial reason. No, it was for a _very_ good reason, and no one but Laura would _ever _know – not if she could help it, at least.

With a grunt low enough to be a small sigh, Kim stood, collecting her worn blue bag and slinging it on her shoulder. _Jared, I'm going to see Jared, I'm so pathetically obsessed with him even I'm scared of myself. _She thought to herself blandly, _I hardly know him. I know I hardly have a chance, so I should just move on, find a guy that I can actually form a syllable without using a whole hour and half planning it out_.

She had to stop by her locker first, she noted, pick up her textbook and doodle pad- uh, _history notebook_ – and head to class, where she will sit _next to him_. Well, fuck. It would be easier to try and get over him if he didn't sit next to him.

Her feet reached her locker at the end of the hallway, exactly twenty-three lockers down from Jared – that information came over a collection of weeks; she didn't just go _creepily count _the number of lockers that were between them. No, of course not, because that was what pathetic people did, and while she may be pathetically boring, there was always a 'boring' after that. Boring could stay for as long as it wanted as long as it didn't disappear and only leave 'pathetic' behind. Nope, they were a pair, a glued, taped, sewn together duo. One didn't exist without the other, and she made sure of that.

She was no _creep_. She didn't listen to his breathing instead of listening to the lecture, nope. Course she didn't, because that was what pathetic, sad people did. She didn't watch his every movement when he walked in her sight, because that was considered eye stalking in her opinion. Nope, never did that either.

And she had just successfully succeeded in pathetically failing to lie to herself.

This was why she really needed to get out of La Push. Her entire life seemed to be consumed by _Jared_. Him. 'The One' – the one boy who seemed in the entirety of La Push who didn't know she existed. What cruel fates – literally. The one person whose attention she wanted the most, she had the least.

It. Made. No. Fucking. Sense.

She was sick of feeling like this, sick of it, but unable to stop it, because if he even so much looks in her _direction_, she would feel such immense happiness because, even if he wasn't looking _at_ her, he could still – theoretically – _see_ her. As the years went by – thought the feeling remained – her thoughts changed.

She was firmly certain that he, for whatever unfathomable reason, just couldn't see her. She didn't exist to him. He didn't see her, hear her, smell her… taste her… feel her…

Kim shook her head of the thoughts, as those were definitely not thoughts she could think if she wanted to keep her sanity in tact. It was possible, she figured, if she imagined Jared in _that_ sense. Too much fictional eye candy can be really hard on a girl's senses.

She passed through the threshold of the classroom, and took her seat. It was easy; he wasn't there to screw with her sense of self. He wasn't there to make her feel insecure and shy.

Very, very strange.

While on a normal basis she was earlier than him, her small detour to her locker should have made him earlier than she – _not_ that she was counting the minutes… seconds, okay, so she was, but that was more because she was counting down to when class _ended_. With a small sigh, she flipped her hair behind her dramatically, which made someone in the back snicker, so she finished her impromptu melodrama with a heavy sigh.

She leaned back, stretched, and spun around her, so she was facing said snickerer – that wasn't a word… hmm… she would have to read up on that, find the actual word for it, but that was for a later time. "What? Think I'm funny, Daren?" She asked lazily, making her voice drawl out in something of semblance to a southern drawl, though she knew she failed horribly, because the small kid behind her laughed loudly and began to point.

Daren was a small kid who, as it turned out, was actually a freshman, and for some strange – really, really strange – reason, decided to take History and English over the summer. And hello! He now sat behind her, via horrible bloody History teacher's seating plan. It wasn't that he was a particularly annoying kid, and she did appreciate that he laughed at her jokes, but it didn't seem… okay, so it really felt like she had just adopted a younger brother who liked to laugh _at _her.

She pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes at the kid, but he seemed to take this as another joke so she sighed in irritation and rolled her eyes so that they were facing front. A real frown touched her lips and brow then, as she noted that it was five minutes after class started, and Jared had yet to show up.

If he didn't hurry he was going to be late.

"Hey, Kim!" Daren hissed behind her. Kim waved her hand dismissively at the boy, trying to tell him not to bother him at the moment, because Jared – or, more accurately, the lack of Jared – was currently preoccupying her mind. "Kim!"

With an aggravated huff she spun around in her chair, and turned to glare at the lonely kid in the back. She expected his attention, in fact, was used to it – just as used to her lack of attention whenever Jared came to sit beside her. The kid learned to shut up then.

"What!" Really, Jared had yet to arrive, something could be seriously wrong with him! It was her time to worry. Belatedly she realised she sounded a bit harsh, so she bit out a 'sorry' to the poor kid who suddenly looked like she had kicked his puppy.

Or hamster, he didn't have a puppy.

"Can I copy your history homework?" He asked, and Kim raised an eyebrow. What a dumn kid. That homework took her an entire flipped hour, and he thought he could copy it in what, five minutes? Mr. Harbour may give them ten minutes to calm down, since history was after lunch, but more than five minutes-

Damn, she thought, the bloody puppy-dog look. She started at it, at how the kid's dark eyes suddenly seemed to get bigger and his small, pouty lips began to quiver. Where the hell had the kid managed to learn something like that, anyway? With a huff, she reached down and grabbed her worn out blue knapsack and heaved it onto her lap. She tugged at the zipper, pulling it harshly, and it jingled due to the three key chains she had attached to it. Finally, she won, the bag opened, and she reached in and pulled out her notebook, which, between the pages of mindless drawings, actually held completed homework and the seldom note. She tossed it to the kid in the back, and he let out a happy squeal.

Truth be told, she didn't exactly _mind_ Daren talking to her, since it made her seem like she actually had a life outside of Jared – which she _did_, she just meant a life _in history class_. That, and she _did_ feel sorry for him, being the youngest – and smallest – kid in class and no one to sit beside. (Mr. Harbour probably thought he was doing Daren a favour, by not putting him with all the scary, mean, upperclassmen).

Spinning back into her seat, she stared again at the clock. Jared had yet to arrive, and it was already eight minutes after the bell rang. Daren should hurry up to, if he wanted to get the homework done in time.

"You have so many friggen drawings on this page, Kim." She heard Daren hiss behind her, and she smiled in amusement.

"I got bored while doing it." She explained with a shrug, before freezing. She didn't – not in her doodle- _History_ – book, would she? Usually it was only reserved for her diary, but… well… she did let her mind wander last night… oh boy.

She spun around, her leg getting caught in the desk and with her momentum, dragged it with her, sending the cheap tabletop to the ground in a thundering crash. She winced at the noise, and people around her laughed, and, before she knew what she had really done, she began laughing too. Daren was louder, however.

She picked her desk up, looked up to make sure that Mr. Harbour was merely watching with amusement and not with scorn, and set it back in place. Ah, she needed that – laughter was the best medicine after all-

Oh, right, she spun, this time making sure _her_ leg didn't get caught in the _table's_ leg, as she did so. No crashing tables, that was good. Daren was looking at her with amusement, actually, he was still laughing, which was probably forced, since her mirth had died down to a simple smile.

Quickly, she checked her page, her eyes scanning over the senseless drawings, and then she sighed upon realising that no where on the sheet lay her _first _name and Jared's _last_.

Thankfully, that was still a secret her diary kept for her.

"Alright, class, Kimberly," she grimaced when her teachers voice specifically mentioned _her _name. "Take out your homework; we'll check over it after I take attendance."

She quickly snatched the notebook away from Daren, and turned to face the front of the class, her eyes turning back to the door, expecting Jared to burst in at any moment, but… he didn't. Kim frowned, and almost missed when the teacher called her name out for attendance. She hastily raised her hand and called out 'here', but her eyes remained locked on the door. Where could he be? He didn't just skip – Jared _never_ 'just skipped' – she did, but that was beside the point. He was probably sick, or something happened – something _bad_.

"Jared?" The teacher called, looking over to the seat beside her, "Kim, do you know where Jared is?" Ah, how she wished she _did_ know, how much she wished she was _privy_ to know, but she wasn't, so, instead of responding like she wanted, she merely shook her head meekly, looking down at her hands, which had unconsciously folded themselves on her lap.

"Hmm, anyone else?"

No one gave an answer, though many people would gave their guesses, none of them were accurate. Someone would have to text Paul, he would probably know, but Paul wasn't _in_ this history class at all.

"He wasn't looking too good last period yesterday." Someone offered, "Actually, he wasn't looking good at all yesterday. He's probably sick."

"Hmm, well, absent it is, then." Mr. Harbour muttered to himself, before filling in the empty bubble next to Jared's name. He then continued on, calling out names because he was too lazy to look – or to make sure we were paying attention to him when he spoke, whichever.

Twelve minutes now, and Jared was officially absent.

Now she really worried for him, a simple cold or no.

"Jared," she whispered, settling her chin in her hand. _Are you okay?_

_

* * *

_

_A/N: _In the book, Kim is described as shy, but I've had enough of her being 'shy', I wanted her to be blunt, and well, odd. However, I DID keep her 'shy' aspect, but only put it in relation to Jared. Also, I read around, and realised that most authors gave Kim one friend. I thought that was pretty darn mean, I mean, this girl grew UP there, she should at least know people who talk to her, and should definitely have more than a single friend. So, I gave her a few, along with a personality I'm quite happy with. READ AND REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

The Odd One In

Chapter Two

* * *

She was walking home, her bag swinging haphazardly near her feet. She held it by the arm strap, near the top of the bag, and allowed it to swing. Rather than head home, her feet took her to the closer destination, Laura's house.

It was probably flu season, she thought. Honestly she didn't exactly _know_ when flu season was, but it could be theoretical. Just like how her cousin would declare random days as 'opposite day' when the situation suited it. Usually it was when Kim was grouchy and snapped at the closest moving object, whether it be person, plant or animal.

First Laura is sick – which is a pretty big deal, since Kim could count the number of times her friend had been sick on one hand – then Jared, and, according to April, Paul, too. It was substantially odd, and she only hoped she didn't catch a cold as well, since Mr. Harbour would most definitely ask _her_ to help Jared catch up… well, only if he was gone for a day or so, more than a week she knew he would give him a booklet to complete so as to not 'inconvenience' the other students (this she knew from personal experience, when she and her family took an extra week off of spring break last year and had him for geography).

Her feet dragged her up a street, and right up a set of concrete sets until they stopped in front of the faded, peeling blue door. With a sigh, Kim raised her fist, hesitated a moment to glance at the driveway, checking to make sure her parents weren't home, before she slammed it against the door, making it rattle.

"Get up, you lazy ass!" She called out, loud enough for the neighbours to accurately hear. She continued to assault relentlessly, growing only more irritated as the light drizzle that had started up before school finished decided to pick it up. "I'm getting soaked! Open up!" She slowed down her fist, but only to increase the strength between each hit. "WAKE UP!" She screamed loudly, and when she went to hit the door once more, it suddenly opened, and her momentum tossed her inside.

"The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here." The question was more of a croaked statement, and as Kim gathered her bearings, and turned around, she saw her friend, tall, pretty Laura, with russet skin and curly dark hair (from her mother's side). Laura stared at her listlessly, and Kim could honestly say that she had never seen a more sick person in her entire life.

"I missed you?" She tried, but when Laura just shuffled over to her living room, where a box of tissue's (and a mountain of used ones) lay (or discarded). She picked up the box, pulled a Kleenex out, and pushed it against her nose, before blowing hard enough to resemble a blow horn.

"I feel like shit." Of course, the only response Laura could make; she felt like shit. Suddenly, Kim felt like abusing her choice of words, but seeing the dark bags and stuffed, red nose, she thought better of it. Laura sniffed, before collapsing on the tissue-covered couch.

"When you texted me this morning I didn't think you were _this_ bad." Kim noted, before shrugging out of her jacket and retreating to Laura's kitchen, with full intent of making food (warming up some soup was doable). "Any preferences?" She called from the kitchen, but Laura didn't respond. Ah, oh well, at least she wouldn't feel like telling Laura – _again_ – about Jared.

This of course led to her _thinking_ about him which made her want to _talk_ about him. About how his dark eyes seemed to smoulder whenever she got the fortune of seeing them, of how good-looking he was, of how funny he was, of how sweet, of how she was certain that if she were to run a hand along that chest of hers, she would _not_ be disappointed.

With a low groan, she opened the soup cupboard in the kitchen and reached in, before pulling out with a can of chicken soup. Thoughts like that were going to make her drool, and there was nothing more disgusting than someone else's drool in your soup. Not that she would know from experience, but she was sure that it would be pretty disgusting.

Missing today, but that was okay; he was sick, not often, but he was sick occasionally. It wasn't the end of the world (no matter how much her heart might say it was), he was going to be back either tomorrow or the day after. Then she'd be able to see him and-

She was _not_ a creep!

God, why couldn't she stop thinking about him? He never even spoke to her, well, there _was_ that one time in grade seven when he asked her to borrow a pencil, but other than that? She couldn't remember him speaking a single word to her. Not one, and she knew the exact sentence he had used back then.

Thankfully, she hadn't noticed or cared about Jared in that way… yet. She would probably be insane by now. Kim set the soup can on the light green linoleum countertops, before rummaging through the drawer underneath it for the can opener. She finally found it, and set to work on unsealing the soup.

When _had_ it started? Really? She knew he wasn't the best looking kid, or, he hadn't been, so why? What was so appealing about Jared that she had to put herself through this torture? Her mind searched for the first time she realised she liked him, (which coincidently made her realise that she probably _always_ had a slight crush on him).

But what was the starting point?

There, such a half-forgotten memory that she might as well have forgotten it. Back in a time when girls and boys didn't exist, when everyone was a potential friend, and there was no such thing as crushes or boyfriend or girlfriend. She had fallen, scraped her knee and had begun to cry, but he had come up, and made sure she was okay – if she remembered correctly, he was playing some sort of hero game.

Her own hero – no wonder she carried a crush all the way until now.

That didn't answer her question though. She realised she liked him because Laura had actually become girly and started to talk about a guy _she_ liked. Imagine that, when all of the 'symptoms' matched Kim's reactions and feelings towards Jared.

Stupid Laura.

When the hell had it started! Now that she thought on it, it just seemed to be getting worse and worse since grade eight. Three years, and now she felt like she was going to burst! It was so _not_ cool to be pinning over a guy like this, but what does she do? Freak out when he missed one class?

She was in love with him.

With a curse she searched the kitchen for a pot, and upon finding one, she dumped the soup in it and set it on the burner until it would heat up enough to clear Laura's congestion. Worried and still preoccupied, she reached into the cupboard above Laura's fridge, the medicine cabinet, and pullet out a variety of medicine's out, before placing what Laura seemed to have and selecting one, she shoved the rest back.

She was going to go insane.

With a silent resolution, she promised herself that the next time she saw Jared, she would talk to him, _actually_ talk-

But what if he doesn't like her?

She shook her head to banish such traitorous thoughts. _No_, she couldn't be thinking like that at all. He was going to like her, because if he didn't she would be absolutely devastated. The person you love hating you? She was _not_ going to end up being as some sad old cat lady because the person she can't have ends up with someone else. She was going to be the _heroine_ in this story, dammit!

And if he did end up hating her, she would much prefer to crawl into a hole and die for a few months.

Laura would probably bury her; April might dig her up.

As she absentmindedly watched the soup heat, bottle of medicine next to her on the counter, she began to ponder on what she _would_ do, say, if he hated her, or rejected her-

She knew her answer.

She'd get the hell out of La Push and live so hard she wouldn't be able to remember or won't have time to remember. Then, when she hopefully met someone else, she could laugh at her younger self.

But before that she would die in a hole for a day… or a week. Laura might get pissed off at the smell if she kept it up for too long. But after that… well, she wasn't a masochist; she'd get out there, move on… eventually. That, and her ego would probably take a massive hit and she might never again have a crush and had a few dysfunctional relationships before she found the 'one'.

She turned the burner off, noting that she forgot to stir it, but not caring enough to do anything about it. She had to stop thinking so negatively; not that many people hated her, or 'didn't like' her. They were either neutral, thought she was annoying, or liked her. Fingers crossed he was in the 'like her' section.

Finding a bowl in Laura's mess of a kitchen was harder than it seemed, but when she did, she poured the soup in, found a spoon, dropped it in, then carried it and the medicine to where Laura was, predictably, sleeping on her couch.

She placed both items on the glass coffee table before rudely poking her friend in the cheek. It didn't work, so Kim shoved her instead.

"wha, hah na," The girl murmured through her sleepy haze. Kim rolled her eyes, but felt significantly dispirited after her depressing thoughts.

"Laura," She called out in a clear voice. "Wake up, I got some soup and some medicine." The girl murmured again, so Kim shoved her again, and this time it had a more desired effect, as Laura swung her hand out to hit Kim upside the head. Kim, rubbing her head, backed off with a small whine of pain.

Laura shifted, until her eyes landed on the soup and the medicine, before forcing out a coarse, "Thanks. You goin'?"

"Yeah. Mom might try to rip apart Smartie."

"That thing's disgusting." She muttered before pressing her face deep into the pillow. The blanket she had been previously using was on the floor, so Kim, being the nice girl that she was, picked it up and threw it on top of her. Laura muttered another thank you, and Kim left. After all, if she ended up sick, she wouldn't be able to see Jared tomorrow.

And finally talk to him.

Hopefully.

Maybe she should stay, just to make sure Laura would be okay, and who knows? Contract whatever sort of disease she had and miss the next few days? She could use a day off…

No, she already made her mind up, and that was something that was hard to change. Without another word, as she was sure Laura was probably asleep already, she picked up her jacked, looked at her feet, realising she never took off her shoes – oops – and left, heading home.

It was decided. She would start that beautiful relationship with Jared tomorrow! Or the day after, whenever he got back. She would do it, even if it takes another entire period to pep talk herself into doing so.

Little would she know, that she wouldn't see him again for two weeks.

* * *

Three days had passed, and Kim was officially worried. Jared hadn't been in, and it was already the weekend, Saturday to be specific. According to Mr. Harbour he was violently sick, and the thought of her Jared-

_Her Jared! _She shook her head and then hid it, hoping to spare others the sight of her blood-red face. Since when had she started to think about him like _that_? "Huh? What's up, Kim?"

"I just called a person mine."

"Oh, Jared? Ha, that's funny." April teased, and Kim playfully hit her. The two were currently hanging out at April's house, or, specifically, April's backyard. "Now, enough, you hate it when I talk about Jeremy-"

"That's cause I prefer to _watch_ my porn, not listen to it." Kim muttered, unintentionally reciting line she heard in an action movie once. April laughed aloud, and Kim followed shortly after.

"Damn, I mean, I know you've never had a boyfriend before, but to be _that_ sexually repressed?" April joked, and Kim gave her a cheeky smile, glad that April fully understood that it was a complete joke, and that she didn't _actually_.

If she were to check on that in a few years, and still she had no boyfriend, it might actually apply, but not now, _definitely _not now. She was almost mortified to think about it, but more mortified to think she would probably like it. It was a battle of the wills, what with her wakening libido attacking her in full force.

"It's a shame, I know, but you can _never _beat the bodies on those men." Well, Jared could, she was sure of it, and pale, pasty skin was never to her tastes, - _she only knew that because once she accidently tripped and fell into the 'adult' section of the movie rentals –_ Jared's rustic skin, however, now _that_ was perfection.

The perfect tan without the UV radiation, who could beat that?

"Oh, I bet. That and the size of their dicks, no?" April joked once more, and though Kim was fully aware that April meant it as a joke – at least, Kim thought so – it was fun to make April sweat, so, without further ado-

"Holy shit, you actually watch that?" Kim said, widening her eyes and twisting her tone into disbelief. April grew red in the face and began to deny it vehemently. "You're one greedy slut, aren't you?" There, April, and on cue, April's eyes widened in realisation, before she laughed loudly.

"Now _that_'_s_ funny, Kim." She then stood up, brushed herself off. "It's almost two – Laura said she was going to meet up with us at two thirty to go shopping, right?"

Kim shook her head in the negative, "Laura said she needed a ride at two thirty, otherwise she would have met us there." April nodded with an 'oh,' that she dragged out. Kim smirked at her silliness, before standing herself and, without bothering to brush off her faded jeans of the non-existent dirt (they were sitting on her _new_ deck) she reached down to pick up her tan, coarse purse. It wasn't the best looking thing out there, but she liked it that way.

* * *

Hands full of clothes, wallets completely empty of savings, Kim walked home with Laura, having been dropped off at April's house. Kim looked down at what she got, and smiled happily. She loved being comfortable more than most, and absolutely adored sweaters. Who wouldn't want to hug her if she was so cuddly?

Jared, that's who. But if he would just _try_, he might find he liked it.

"Adam's birthday is coming up." Laura mentioned, and immediately Kim's mind jumped to the only Adam she knew – Laura's adorable little brother. "I have no idea what to get him."

"I can give him a Smartie look-alike." Kim suggested, though it was all in good humour, because the look of complete disgust on Laura's face made it more than worth it.

"That thing's disgusting. Fuck. No." Laura shot down her joke, but it only made Kim smile even wider. Ah, Dear Laura, so rough around the edges and yet as strong as a rock. Her friend since before she could remember.

It was a pity Kim couldn't shake the habit of acting like a little kid around her. April she could act more like herself, but with Laura? She felt like she was falling back into an age-old habit she couldn't and didn't want to break. It brought back good times.

Laura glanced at her, before sighing, almost dramatically, but Laura _never_ did anything dramatically. "Go on, I know you're dying to talk about him."

"He's been gone for three days." Kim started, not needing any more prompting. As usual, Laura looked like she wasn't even listening, but Kim knew she was, so her words continued to spill out anyway. "It's really annoying, actually, since the day that he was sick I finally motivated myself enough to talk to him the next time I see him, but now apparently I won't be able to see him for at least a week!"

April would have blandly muttered a sarcastic 'pity', and the two would have begun to tease each other once more, but Laura was as serious as one could get, and really, it was the only time Kim felt like a little kid. She didn't know why, but she acted differently around Laura. Maybe it was because the girl's moods rubbed off too much, or maybe it was just because Laura wasn't the type to joke around like Aril was.

Whatever the reason, she acted more like an annoying kid whenever she talked to Laura.

But, oh well, it was nice too feel little again, like Laura could do all the hard work, and she could just have fun.

"Oh, and by the way, don't leave any pies around your house or I will throw it against the wall" Kim added, as an afterthought. Laura made an amused sound at the back of her throat, before biting out an amused 'why'. Kim, with a smirk on her face, answered. "Cause last night I watched this movie where this dude masturbated using one, and I am thoroughly scarred." Then, without further ado, Kim waved goodbye to her shocked friend, before turning down her street, leaving Laura alone.

She cackled all the way home.

Absentmindedly, she wondered if Jared would have laughed too.

* * *

_A/N: A few sexual jokes, I know, but these people are teenagers, and at least in my experience, we make sexual jokes, so if you're offended, sorry, but this was appropriatley rated T for TEEN. Ah, and I hope you guys are enjoying Kim's character (as well as April's and Laura's). Now, Smartie will be explained later, and for those who know what movie I'm talking about, kudos to you, if not, it's a reference to American Pie - very funny movie. Jared is going to appear next chapter! Yah! _


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